UK Disabled Facilities Grant Waiting Times: How Long It Takes

Last updated: 22 June 2026 · Every figure on this page links to its original source. Free to cite with attribution.

How long you wait for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to fund a stairlift or other home adaptation depends heavily on where you live. This page pulls together the published evidence on DFG waiting times across the UK. We are gathering full council-by-council figures through Freedom of Information requests; this interim version sets out the national picture and the documented extremes.

Key DFG waiting time figures

Measure	Figure	Source
Average wait to receive a DFG (England, FOI of 108 councils)	46 days	Oak Tree Mobility FOI study
Fastest council average	1 day (Norwich City Council)	Oak Tree Mobility FOI study
Slowest council average	281 days (Three Rivers District Council)	Oak Tree Mobility FOI study
Average wait for home adaptation grants in Wales	370 days	Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Time to Adapt (2024/25, calendar days from first contact to finished work; some council figures estimated)
Maximum DFG award (England)	£30,000	GOV.UK

Copy-and-paste stat: In England a Disabled Facilities Grant takes an average of 247 working days from start to finish, according to councils’ own returns for 2023/24 analysed by Foundations. A separate Freedom of Information study by Oak Tree Mobility, a stairlift retailer, found an average wait of 46 days to receive a grant across 108 councils (published July 2023, not official government data).

The Oak Tree study does not say exactly which stages its 46 days covers; it describes it only as the wait to receive a grant. Councils’ own returns to government put the full journey, from start to finish, at an average of 247 working days in 2023/24. Both figures, and every council’s budget, sit side by side in the Disabled Facilities Grant by council master table.

A postcode lottery for home adaptations

Two issues explain the wide gap in waiting times. First, a grant usually can’t go ahead without an occupational therapy assessment, and in many areas OT waiting lists run to several months.

Second, some councils run out of their annual DFG budget part way through the year. The government’s own consultation acknowledged that the previous funding formula left some authorities unable to meet demand. That can force disabled residents to wait for the next financial year before work begins (MHCLG consultation response, 2025).

In 2025, for example, Preston City Council reported that some applicants could wait until the following April before approved works could start, citing rising construction costs and complex cases (Blog Preston, 2025). The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has also upheld complaints about excessive DFG delays (LGSCO decision).

The official data source

Councils in England report their DFG delivery performance to the government through DELTA returns. Foundations, the national body for home improvement agencies, compiles these into per-council scorecards. They cover the time taken at each stage from enquiry to completion (Foundations DFG performance data).

Foundations sends each council its own scorecard. Most councils do not publish theirs, though a few, such as Forest of Dean, do. So we’re requesting the underlying figures through Freedom of Information requests, to build a full, searchable council-by-council table. This page will be updated when that data is in.

How to reduce your own wait

Applying to the wrong body is the easiest way to add months. The grant checker tells you who handles adaptations where you live before you pick up the phone.

Requesting an occupational therapy assessment early, applying as soon as a need is identified, and getting quotes ready can all help. If you cannot wait, buying or renting privately is faster: see our guides to stairlift prices, rental and reconditioned stairlifts, and our grant application guide.

FAQ

How long does a Disabled Facilities Grant take?

It varies widely by council. An FOI study of 108 English councils found an average of 46 days to receive a grant, but individual council averages ranged from 1 day to 281 days. Complex cases and OT assessment backlogs can extend this to a year or more.

Why do DFG waiting times vary so much between councils?

Waits depend on local occupational therapy capacity, how each council processes applications, and whether the council still has DFG budget remaining for the year. Some authorities run out of funding mid-year, delaying work until the next financial year.

Can I speed up my DFG application?

Requesting an occupational therapy assessment early and applying as soon as a need is identified helps. If the wait is too long, buying or renting a stairlift privately is much faster than waiting for a grant.

How to Cite This Page

Citation: Stairlift Guru, “UK Disabled Facilities Grant Waiting Times”, stairliftguru.co.uk, updated June 2026.

Link: https://stairliftguru.co.uk/stairlift-grants/dfg-waiting-times/. Journalists, researchers and AI tools are welcome to reuse these figures with a link back to this page and the primary sources above.

Methodology & Sources

Our national and council-extreme waiting figures come from an Oak Tree Mobility Freedom of Information study of 108 English councils, published in July 2023. Oak Tree Mobility is a stairlift retailer, so treat its figures as an independent study, not official data. The Wales figure comes from the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales report Time to Adapt (2024/25).

Funding and policy context is from the MHCLG DFG allocation consultation and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Official delivery data is reported through DELTA returns and compiled by Foundations.

This is an interim page. We’re gathering full council-level figures by FOI and will publish a searchable table when it’s complete.

Long waits carry a cost of their own. See the cost of a fall in the UK for what the health and care system spends treating falls compared with what preventing them costs.